Here is the video that I took today of 611 at the west end of Shawsville, Va. The rain was kind enough to hold off.
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Wow! I lost count of the number of coaches! It's a regular alpha-jet with all the different roadnames represented.
2 cars after the engine and tenders. More were added after the first trips.
Excellent video Jim, that's a great location.
Thanks for the video Big Jim. That was the next best thing to being there.
Ray.
Ray.
Thanks for the video. Always glad to see 611 in action!
nice. I was out there today too. Caught her at Wabun & Elliston on the afternoon trips & Montvale & Webster on the morning trips. The whistle never gets old!
great video, do you think a lone diesel could pull all those coaches?
romiller
Originally Posted by romiller49:
great video, do you think a lone diesel could pull all those coaches?
romiller
Sure, at 40MPH.
Nice clip, Jimmy. Well done, and a good spot.
Ed
Awesome video. Hope to ride that train in the near future.
Lon
Very well shot video. Hearing that soulful whistle deep in the hollow and then seeing the steam plume as it climbed the grade really added to the anticipation of seeing the 611 as it came into view. Well done. Can never get enough of seeing the 611.
Well Done Big Jim!
I felt like it was 1959 and O.Winston Link was trackside with all of the birds and nature before she rounded the bend. Thanks so much!
Thanks everyone.
Until about 30 min. before she arrived, I was the only person up on the bank with a camera. Four nice guys from Jersey were down at crossing level. Then, the paparazzi came barreling in and things got crowded and noisy.
This was taken with my camera and I am surprised at all of the sounds that the microphone picks up. Route 11 is over a quarter mile away, yet, highway sounds come in loud & clear.
One thing that I don't think got picked up was the exhausts echoing off the trees and surrounding terrain as the engine rounded the curve into view. I guess you just had to be there to experience the sound.
I'm sorry that the wind got into the microphone making noise that drowned out a lot of the distant exhausts as the train was moving away out of sight. The guy with the ATV didn't help either.
I think the first that I noticed back when I filmed her return to Roanoke back on May 30th was how glossy the paint job is. It really makes the 611 a stand out!
21 cars what a train!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love to see another steamer come back to life. Thank you for sharing. My hat tips to the folks that made it happen. Awesome video. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have to agree Jim, her paint is flawless...she definitely catches the eye. Now if they could get rid of that UP whistle.
great! thanks for sharing!
If the diesel was wide open at 40 per on that hill, I wonder how much faster 611
could pull those cars on level and straight!
611 is a real beauty, and sounds great. But she does need her Hancock whistle.
Ed
Originally Posted by Ed Mullan:
If the diesel was wide open at 40 per on that hill, I wonder how much faster 611
could pull those cars on level and straight!
Since your question is directly related to horse power, even a new GE at 4400HP, wouldn't maintain the same speed on the grade as 611. According to "preliminary" information from the NS Research & Test Dept., 611 was producing 4400HP at 26MPH, as recorder/calculated from the NS Test Car, coupled directly behind the auxiliary tender.
Thus, if 611 produced her 5000+HP at 40MPH, she would be a bit faster, with that same train on that same grade.
611 is a real beauty, and sounds great. But she does need her Hancock whistle.
Ed
So the answer is..no a lone diesel, IF IT WAS AN ES44, could NOT pull that grade
at 40 miles an hour.
Nor could it pull those cars on straight and level at 80 mph plus easily as could 611.
Ed
Originally Posted by Ed Mullan:
So the answer is..no a lone diesel, IF IT WAS AN ES44, could NOT pull that grade
at 40 miles an hour.
I didn't say that. Since the 611 is LIMITED to 40 MPH MAXIMUM speed, that is all she is allowed to do, i.e. she may have had to be throttled back a bit in order to keep from exceeding her Max authorized speed. An ES44 diesel may well have been able to just make 40 MPH, but we have no way of knowing that.
Nor could it pull those cars on straight and level at 80 mph plus easily as could 611.
Well that IS true, since diesel electric locomotives geared for freight service are limited to 70 MPH, and would begin to power-limit if forced to go faster, thus reducing horsepower in the process anyway.
Ed
Well done, Big Jim. That is a very fine locomotive, and you gave us a good look at her while she was working.
What would be interesting to know is if the 611 was "all out" up that hill, or held
back a little to put on a show for the fans. That's the IF in Kelly's reply.
Ed
